PPOA Statement on ALADS’ Endorsement of Alex Villanueva

September 21, 2018

On August 8, the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS) announced its endorsement of Alex Villanueva for sheriff.

We have received several inquiries about PPOA’s position and whether we will follow ALADS’ endorsement of Villanueva. Although PPOA believes there is greater strength in both unions endorsing the same candidate, we did not have any discussions with ALADS prior to its announcement.

We do not believe an endorsement should be decided without proper research and careful analysis; PPOA will not alter its protocols and procedures for endorsement. Here is our process:

We have already held a debate between the candidates, and it can be viewed at PPOA.com.

We are in the process of conducting public polling; this will help determine the viability of each candidate and the impact of their strengths and weaknesses on voters.

We will examine campaign data; this includes fundraising, independent expenditure committees and endorsements from other groups.

We will ask PPOA members whom they believe PPOA should endorse. The results from this information gathering will be given to PPOA’s endorsement committee for final recommendation to the PPOA Board of Directors.

There is a reason why PPOA has had great success with its endorsement process in past elections. We are thorough in our process and calculated in our decision-making, and we are not willing to compromise our process.

I am asking all PPOA members to be patient with our process. If you have a question that you would like asked of either candidate, please email them to me at bmoriguchi@ppoa.com.

This election is very important for PPOA members specifically and for public safety in general — it should not be taken lightly. We must support the best candidate to lead the largest sheriff ’s department in the world and ensure that they possess the qualities we want in a sheriff. If you have any questions, please contact me.